Cynthia Rice

Medicaid coverage can be life changing, but only if enrollees understand their coverage and are empowered to seek care. Unfortunately, disjointed outreach and awareness building sometimes means many who are covered don’t even realize it. Researchers found that about 1 in 3 people enrolled in Medicaid in 2022 didn’t know that they were covered, an ongoing problem that worsened during the unwinding. This issue highlights the importance of thorough outreach to Medicaid enrollees, and why policymakers must do all they can to reach those who are eligible. If policymakers did away with burdensome and ineffective work requirements, precious staff time and resources could be better spent on essential tasks like notifying people of their coverage status at the right address, or writing clear communications materials in many languages. https://lnkd.in/ewCwWbNc

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Delighted to be involved in the kick off of this series by Drug Policy Alliance. It has been a long time since I was in treatment for substance use disorder. A great deal has changed and a LOT hasn't. What would treatment be like that would make people want to go? What are the modalities that get people healthy and able to sustain wellness and recovery, as they define it? What are the most important elements of treatment for people with problematic use and what needs to be in place for people who use drugs (two different things, for sure). People are at higher risk for dying from fentanyl leaving jails, prisons and inpatient/residential programs. Join the discussion! https://lnkd.in/eF-U9CGu

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It’s been two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. While we don’t yet know the full extent of the consequences, our latest state scorecard provides an important baseline for assessing the impacts of policy changes that result from the rulings.  Looking at data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Commonwealth Fund’s new scorecard examines how women’s health and reproductive care are faring in the U.S. The research reveals alarming results: States with abortion restrictions often have fewer maternity care providers, and maternal death rates are highest in states with full abortion bans. The findings indicate that gaps in women’s health and reproductive care could widen further in post-Roe America, especially for women of color and those with low incomes in states that have restricted access to reproductive health care. https://buff.ly/3WswPsU  

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Many states have taken action to help people get health care again during the Medicaid unwinding, but there’s far more progress that needs to be made. 23% of people who were disenrolled in Medicaid unwinding are still uninsured, according to a recent KFF survey. Policymakers can help their constituents to live a healthy life by expanding Medicaid, staffing Medicaid assistance centers in their states, and passing continuous enrollment for children. https://lnkd.in/esDNdfWr

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📰 2024 State Scorecard on Women’s Health and Reproductive Care https://lnkd.in/ge-TJbBj Posted on June 18, 2024, the report shows the health of women in the U.S. is declining with increasing deaths from preventable causes and significant racial disparities in maternal mortality and cancer deaths. The report outlines how life expectancy for women remains at its lowest since 2006 despite a small increase in 2022 *AND HOW* state policy choices and judicial decisions limit access to comprehensive health services and reproductive care. HIGHLIGHTS: 📍 Mortality Rates: Highest deaths among women aged 15-44 in southeastern states from pregnancy, substance use, COVID-19, and chronic conditions. 📍 Maternal Death Rates: Highest for Black and AIAN women nationally. 📍 Mental Health: Leading cause of preventable pregnancy-related deaths, including suicides and overdoses. States with highest postpartum depression screening had lowest rates of depression. 📍 Women in non-Medicaid-expanded states are most at risk of lacking coverage. 📍 Impact of Roe v. Wade Overturn: Significant changes in reproductive health care access and treatment of pregnancy complications in the 2 states banning or restricting abortion. The scorecard measures performance using 32 metrics across health outcomes, health care quality and prevention, and coverage, access, and affordability.

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Seamless data is essential for communities to effectively address public health disparities. The past three years have shown us just how important data is to addressing needs in a timely manner, and the lack of data needed to respond to continuous public health threats has shown us why an updated data infrastructure is long overdue.    In their recently updated Public Health Data Strategy for 2024-2025 and a companion 2023 Lookback Report, @The CDC Foundation shares how they intend to continue improving data modernization across all levels of public health.   More here: https://lnkd.in/ehWsk2d9    #PublicHealthData #DataQuality

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Integrating acquisitions into big corporations is hard. Cultures carefully nurtured by founders are not always appreciated by new owners. Iora was a very special care model for seniors. Call centers can be very effective in promoting access to the right care right place right time and in theory compatible with the Iora model. Execution is crucial. This story is concerning on many levels-the corporate people must listen to the clinical people.

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Adapting our global health systems for a more equitable, sustainable future isn't a one-size-fits-all kind of thing. Join the Abt Global team this Tuesday, June 4th, as we discuss practical ways we can move forward with this in mind. Register for our webinar, The Future of Health Systems: Advancing Health Systems Strengthening: Metrics, Learnings, and Future Directions below: #FutureOfHealth #HealthSystems #GlobalHealth

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The right to contraception was in the headlines across the country this week and has now become a reproductive rights campaign issue along with abortion. You may not have thought about it, but the right to contraception is protected by two landmark Supreme Court decisions. However, in his concurring opinion to the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v Wade, Justice Thomas argued that the Court should reconsider the precedent that relied on the same principles as Roe – including the same case (Griswold v. Connecticut) that guarantees the right to contraception.   That got my attention. Like abortion had been before Dobbs, the right to contraception is protected by a Supreme Court ruling, but no specific federal law. Senate Majority Leader Schumer recently stated that he will take a vote to the Senate floor on a bill that would guarantee the right to contraception in the near future, forcing Senators of all political persuasions to go on the record with their position on the issue. You may not know that 14 states guarantee the right to contraception in their constitutions or their laws. This issue is on the ballot in Maryland and may also be before voters in Hawaii, Missouri, and Washington. And most recently, a bill creating statutory protections for the right to contraception passed by the Virginia legislature was vetoed by Governor Youngkin. This is very much a live and potent political issue. Why does this matter? Is access to contraceptives at risk? Well, it is worth noting that abortion bans in several states could be interpreted to limit contraceptive access. The definitions of pregnancy in some state abortion bans, coupled with the misunderstanding (misinformation?) that certain contraceptives (e.g. IUDs and emergency contraceptive pills) are abortifacients, could be used to limit access to contraceptives. Texas, Idaho, Missouri, and Iowa have already blocked state payment of emergency contraceptive pills in some state financed programs. In addition, state laws and policies that define personhood to start at fertilization may similarly be used to limit access to contraceptives (remember Alabama and IVF?). If you are interested in doing a deeper dive, KFF just published a brief on this very issue. My colleagues Laurie Sobel, Mabel Felix, and I will definitely be tracking developments in the coming months.    https://lnkd.in/gykEk84t

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It’s taken a week to catch up and reflect on the lessons learned from ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research 2024. A few years ago, sharing the stage with giants of the field wasn’t on my radar. However, this conference has become such a rich landscape for discussion about the patient voice in healthcare decision making. I am so glad to join alongside the efforts that brilliant colleagues like Eleanor Perfetto, Alan Balch, and so many others have contributed to get to this moment.   A key theme throughout ISPOR's Patient Centered Research Summit was that research must start and progress with close collaboration and consultation with patients and caregivers - rather than being done with patients as subjects. Patients and patient advocates are here and prepared to take our seat at the table for important conversations to ensure that clinical trials and real-world evidence collection establishes data on the endpoints we collectively agree are important, and that discussions about value are grounded in what patients care about. It may be more challenging and require more resources. However, patient-centered outcomes research isn’t just the right thing to do, it is an imperative given broader policy and marketplace trends. That momentum carried throughout the conference. I had many great conversations (h/t to Derick Mitchell, Axel Mühlbacher, and colleagues like Mark Linthicum from The Innovation and Value Initiative (IVI), Kimberly Westrich from National Pharmaceutical Council, Corey Ford from Cencora, and so many others) about what it means for the field of health economics to progress toward patient-centeredness.   Finally, a thank you to Laura Pizzi and Clarissa Cooblall, MPH, CHES for their passionate support of the patient voice and for trusting me to co-lead this year’s inaugural Summit. The work you are championing is so important. To program co-chair Eleanor Perfetto and the Summit's Program Committee - it wouldn't have been a success without you. Thank you also to Rob Abbott for your continued efforts to validate and elevate the role of patients in health economics and outcomes research. We are making progress. However, there is much work to do and I look forward to being part of the journey.  

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In a new TFAH blog our President & CEO, Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, discusses policy actions that must be taken if the next generation of Americans are going to thrive. It's an important read.

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How effective would the labels for consumer broadband for #wired as well as #wireless mandated by the Federal Communications Commission in the #US be? This is a question that has been on the minds of many. Just like #foodlabels, these aim to empower #consumers with actionable #information about the #broadband service they are purchasing, such as #speed, #price, and #data caps. The idea is to enhance #consumerwelfare through #competition, #choice and #transparency, including but not limited to the Quality of Service. However, the effectiveness of these labels in achieving their intended goals remains to be seen. Would it enable or stifle #innovation in terms of #traiff plans? Should Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI) consider something like this in #India? What do you think? Anil Kumar Lahoti; Neeraj Mittal; Pradip Baijal; Harsha Vardhana SINGH; Rajat Kathuria; A. K. Bhargava; Lt Gen Dr SP Kochhar; Vikram TIWATHIA; Mahesh Uppal; V Sridhar; Rohit Kumar Singh; Anil Tandan; Pradeep Mehta; Nikhil Pahwa; Rajnesh Singh; Prasanto Kumar Roy; Shubhendu Parth; Dr. Lara Srivastava; Scott Wallsten; James Pethokoukis; Jhalak Kakkar Federal Trade Commission; Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI); Department of Telecommunications ( DOT ) Centre for Social and Economic Progress; Cellular Operators Association of India - COAI; ITU-APT Foundation of India; Broadband India Forum; Consumer Unity & Trust Society; Internet Society; MediaNama; Internet Society; Technology Policy Institute; Centre for Communication Governance; #FCC #broadbandlabels #QoS #mobilebroadband

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The health equity landscape is changing, and we must adapt alongside it if we are to truly create a nation where health is not a privilege, but a right. Recognizing that good ideas have no borders, RWJF partnered with global experts to identify six emerging health equity trends around the world—each with deep implications for the U.S. From growing calls for more equitable care work to the compounding global housing crisis, the six trends—and the ways people around the world are responding to them—demonstrate how collective power and community wisdom can help transform institutions, systems, and social practices that obstruct opportunities for good health. Join me, Ben Wise of Dalberg, Zubaida Bai of Grameen Foundation, and George McGraw of DigDeep—all of whom were deeply involved in producing RWJF’s new report on these global trends—on June 7 at 12:30 pm ET for a lively discussion on the trends, and to learn how growing calls for more equitable care work are being met globally.   Don’t miss out on this episode of RWJF’s "Reimagined in America" webinar series! RSVP today: https://rwjf.ws/3V3Pt9X     #GlobalIdeas #CareWork #HealthEquity

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  The U.S. public health system relies depends on the legal infrastructure providing authority for federal, state and local actions. During COVID-19, federal, state and local officials took actions to mitigate disease spread and to protect the public’s health. Many of the actions were subject to legal challenges. This study by Michelle Mello of Stanford Law is the first study to examine how COVID-19-era decisions may constrain public health legal powers going forward. To learn more tune in on June 5th for a Health Affairs webinar on reimagining #publichealth! Register below. https://lnkd.in/eepQGhJN 

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Over the next few weeks at This Week in Public Health we'll be diving into #PROJECT2025 and what it means for health policy in America. As you might guess, I'm in favor of inclusive, empathic, and evidence-based care, all things that we need to pay attention to or risk losing. Here are first blog: https://lnkd.in/eHWESg2U

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